The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-09-10
AN HISTORICAL ROMANCE.

AN HISTORICAL ROMANCE.
Love, Elopement and Marriage
In Olden Times.
Fiction has its peculiar charm for the
summer reader. 1t occupies a certain
vein of indolent thought, and is an an
tidote for the depressing influences of
heat and WEAKNESS. But there are
truths in history, invested with ro-
nance, that are far more captivating
than any story evolved from the inner
consciousness Of practiced writers.
In the year 1897, two members of one
prominent New York family--a sister
and a brother--were married. The
first Of these weddings was great So
cial event. bringing together all that
was distinguished in the world of poll
ties, religion. law, science and letters.
1t occurred ON the 9th of June. The
bride was Miss Eliza Susan Morton;
the bridegroom was the celebrated Jo-
siah Quincy, of Boston. They were
young, popular, rich, fair and talented.
The ceremony was performed by the
Rev. Samuel Stanhope Smith, President
of Princeton College, who made the
long overland journey 10 New York
Tin term time) for the special purpose,
Miss Morton having been much in his
family, and greatly beloved by every
one. She was also favorite in the
family of Judge Theodore Sedgwick,
usually spending some months each
summer with them, in Stockbridge,
Mass. The festivities. blessings and
partings over, the bridal pair departed
in an elegant coach drawn by four fine
horses, and, after tour of five days
through Connecticut and Massachu-
sets reached their Boston home.
The second wedding was far more
romantic and much less imposing. II
was that of Washington Morton, the
younger brother of Mrs Quincy, in
October of the same year. His bride
was the beautiful Cornelia Schuyler,
daughter of General Philip Schuyler, Of
Albany, and sister of Mrs. Alexander
Hamilton. Few gentlemen were better
known in the New York of that period
than General Jacob Morton and his
brother, Washington Morton. They
were both lawyers, with an honorable
place at the New York bar in the most
brilliant period of its history. jacob
Morton was fourteen years older than
Washington, and for upwards of thirty
years was Major-General of the First
Division of the militia of the State.
During the war of 1912 he was mus.
tered into the service OF the United
States, and appointed military com.
mander of New York city. He held
municipal offices of trust, also, for g
long series of years, until he became
almost as familiar to the eyes of New
York as the City Hall itself; and SC
strong was his hold upon the popular
regard that no change in politici
ever disturbed his position. He was
perfect gentleman of the old school
there are persons living who remember
his fine presence. military bearing
erect carriage, alert air and cordia
manners = with powdered hair ant
faultlessly elegant costume. Washing
ton Morton was a strikingly handsome
young man of twenty-five at the tim,
of his marriage, u graduate of Prince
ton in 1892, of rare fascination ane
tact in conversation, superb physica
strength. and great athletic skill. Blu
up to this date much more of his tim
had been given to the pleasures of lif
than to its affairs. He, on one occa
sion, walked to Philadelphia from New
York for wager, which created n,
little talk and excitement, it bein,
then an unprecedented feat. Hi
walk finished, his wager won, after
refreshing bath and toilet. he spen
the night with his friends who had &C
companicd him on horseback, and
party of Philadelphia choice spirits
over a supper-table spread in hi
honor, at which we may well believ
that the conviviality was answerabl
to the greatness of the OCCASION"
At the attractive home of Alexande
Hamilton young Morton was favorit
guest Mrs. Hamilton's younger sister
Cornelia, came to spend the winter @
1796-1797, and Washington Morton fel
madly in love with her. She was
charming girl, though by no means
belle. She had dark brown hair whic
she wore parted in waves over 10,
white forehead; eyes of deep blue-gray
80 shaded and Swallowed by lashes tina
they seemed black in the imperfee
light; complexion of that clear palenes
which better interprets the varyin
phases OF feeling than more brillian
color, and small, rosy mouth with a
manner of little lights playing about i
and slight compression of the lip
betokening strength of will. Her bea,
ty was really of that soft and touchin
kind which wins gradually upon til
heart rather than the senses. Her n,
ture, too plant and clinging for tn
role of social leadership, which so we
became Mrs. Hamilton, had yet firm
ness that promised full developmel
through her affections. She was one {
the wedding guests when the sister I
her lover was married in June, and Wa
radiant on that memorable occasion
The attachment Of the handsome youn
pair was well known to the Morto
family; and ere long Miss Cornelia r.
turned to her home in Albany. attent
ed by Washington Morton, who sougl
an immediate interview with Gcner
SCHUYLER. asking the hand of h